Norma

Norma (Shirley Verrett) is the high priestess of the Druids and daughter of their leader Oroveso (Paul Plishka). But she is also in love with Pollione (Carlo Cossuta), proconsul of their Roman oppressors, and secretly has had two children with him. Matters get even more complicated when another priestess, Adalgisa (Elena Obraztsova), innocently confesses to Norma that she has fallen love with Pollione, who in turns wants to take Adalgisa back to Rome with him. Bellini’s exquisite music conveys every nuance of the characters’ emotional dilemma, all the way through to the drama’s shattering conclusion.